A new study from Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), Generation
STEM: What Girls Say About Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM), shows that most girls have an interest in STEM, but when
thinking about future careers, they do not prioritize STEM fields. The study
found that among teen girls:- 74% are interested in STEM subjects and the general field of study
- 82% see themselves as “smart enough to have a career in STEM
- 81% are interested in STEM and in pursuing STEM careers
- 13% say STEM careers are their first choice
- 60% of girls interested in STEM say they know more about other careers than STEM careers
- 57% of girls say that if they were to pursue a STEM career, they would “have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously”
According to the study, it is the creative and hands-on
aspects of STEM subjects that attracts girls interested in these subjects. "While
we know that the majority of girls prefer a hands-on approach in STEM fields,
we also know that girls are motivated to make the world a better place and to
help people,” says GSRI’s Kamla Modi, Ph.D. “Girls may not understand how STEM
careers help people, or how their STEM interests can further their goals of
helping people.”